The present invention relates to data synchronization, and more specifically, to synchronizing data between or among multiple devices by communicating modifications made to the data instead of communicating the modified data.
Handheld devices and portable computers are becoming increasingly more powerful and functional devices. Many handheld devices are now multifunction devices with multiple device roles including: personal digital assistant (PDA), cellular phone, portable media player, voice recorder, video recorder, global positioning system (GPS), camera, and electronic file storage. Similarly, portable computers now have increased functionality and mobility. Because of these improvements in handheld devices and portable computers, these devices are increasingly used to access and modify data from multiple locations.
Additionally, advances in wireless Internet coverage and in wireless network capabilities made a broad range of data (such as electronic files, image files, audio files and video files) accessible to mobile communication devices, laptop computers, and other types of portable communication systems. Network improvements have also allowed electronic data to be accessed and modified from virtually any location. This combination of improved wireless network access and improved portable device functionality has caused users increasingly to access and modify electronic data from multiple, often widely separated, locations.
Because multiple users can access and modify the same data, the different data modifications should be synchronized to ensure the each user accesses the most recent version of the data. For example, a first user may edit an electronic document in one location, and a second user later accesses the same electronic document from a different location. Synchronization ensures that the electronic document accessed by the second user includes the modifications made by the first user. Synchronization is also used where a single user can access and modify the same data from multiple devices, requiring the data to be synchronized among the multiple devices.
Existing methods for data synchronization require the modified data, in its entirety, to be transmitted from one device to another or to a remote server. Significant network resources can be required to transmit the altered data, especially when large data files are modified. In areas with poor network connectivity or limited network access, transmission of the modified data can substantially degrade network performance and reduce the network resources available for user actions.
Therefore, there is a need for a method for synchronizing data among devices that reduces the network resources used in traditional systems for data synchronization.